Lone Hyena
by irish d' salmon luver
Summary: She's just an ordinary student. He's just an ordinary strict teacher. But their life will change after one encounter at midnight. And what is this Lone Hyena? AU. Rated for language and later. SephTi fic.
1. The New Teacher

**Lone Hyena**

**By: irish d' salmon luver**

**Author's Note:** I don't know what to say… I think it should be "Be gentle, please…"

Caution: The characters will be OOC a bit… or lot?

**Disclaimer:** No, I'm not own them. If I ever own Sephiroth, I must be death now… caused by heavy nose bleeding…

"…" Talk

'…' Thought

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**Chapter 01: The New Teacher**

"Hey Teef!"

Cloud Strife ran to the girl who walked into her class. The girl stopped her track, and turned her body to face the spiky blonde hair. Those deep blue eyes, which always mesmerized everyone who ever seen it, but the girl wasn't affected with those eyes (anymore). He grinned when he saw the sulking expression on her face.

"What is it, Teef? Lack of sleep again? Geez, what a study-freak."

"Shut up you Strife. I'm not in the mood right now."

"Hey, easy Teef. I'm just kidding," he held up his hand in surrender.

"Whatever," Tifa said as she tucked some strands of her hair, which tied in high ponytail, behind her ear. Cloud noticed that something was missing from her.

"Teef, where's your earrings?"

"Huh?"

"Your mother's earrings. You never left it out before."

"Ah… I woke up late this morning, and I was in hurry so I forgot it…"

"Funny… and I thought once you said that those earrings is much, much, more precious than anything in this world,"

"Fuck off, Strife."

"And now the most clever and solemn student in this school just said 'Fuck off' with me. Damn Teef, if any of those strict teachers ever heard you said those words you probably be rejected from your scholarship,"

"So I say: fuck off, Strife. You don't want to get into a trouble with me, do you?" the girl said as she held up her fist in front of Cloud's face. He cringed as he remembered how deadly her petit fist could be. One lesson that Cloud Strife earned from his lifetime with the martial artist: Never messed with Tifa Lockhart or else you got nutcracker.

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The girl named Tifa sighed heavily as she watched her childhood friend finally let go of her. She walked to her desk, and soon as her butt touch the chair she slumped over the desk. She closed her eyes. She was so damn tired right now. Last night she went for her new 'job', and it was drained her energy so much that she could barely opened her eyes.

'And Cloud just called me a study-freak. Sweet…' she rubbed her eyes and opened it just to saw Cloud grinned wickedly to her.

'I bet he _like_- no, it's underestimating- _love_ to watch me weary like this. He's always looking for a chance to beat me. Damn him and his challenging spirit,' she closed her eyes again, pretending to sleep as she realized that Cloud walked to her direction.

"Hey Teef, are you sure you're alright? You look… lifeless," he said in an I'm-so-damn-worried-about-you-are-you-really-alright tone, but, although Tifa didn't see it, she could se how his eyes sparkling mischievously and he got his sly smile on.

"Damn Cloudy, can I ever get some sleep? Just like you said, I'm lifeless, so let me catch some sleep before the homeroom started, okay?"

His sly smile off from his face. Tifa knew exactly how he hated it when she called him 'Cloudy'. It was a cute name, though.

"Well, if you need sleep so much, why won't you go to somewhere else? Classroom is a place for study, not for sleep," What a smart-ass reply. After 10 seconds passed with silence between them, Tifa stand up. She grabbed her reading glasses and a thick book from her bag and walked outside the classroom. Cloud just stood there for a while with stupid confused expression on his face before he ran to catch up Tifa.

"Teef, where are you going? Are you mad at me? Teef, I'm sorry"

Tifa tried her best to hold her smile before facing Cloud. He was just too easy to get upset if he made her angry. Guess that he doesn't wanna lose his best friend, eh?

"Since somebody forbade me to sleep in the classroom, I'm looking for a place to sleep."

"But the homeroom…"

"Cover me up, please Cloudy? Pretty, pretty please? I know I can count on you," she begged to him with those big, round, and cute pleading eyes.

"No way Teef, I'm not falling to the same trap like that."

"…" She began to nibble her lower lip in frustration, still with those big, round, and cute pleading eyes.

"… Shit, I always lose with those puppy eyes. Okay, okay, I'll cover you. Just stop it already!" He huffed in defeat and crossed his arm over his chest. Tifa flashed him a bright smile before stormed out from school's building.

"And don't call me Cloudy again!! You know I hate that name!!" Cloud yelled at her.

"Sure, sure, whatever…" she yelled back before she trailed off, "…Cloudy."

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After walking for a while, Tifa came to a secluded place at the back of the school. It surrounded by bushes, and in the middle of it there was an oak tree. It was a beautiful place, Tifa admit that. She placed her blazer under the oak tree, and then she lay on top of it. She put on her reading glasses, opened her thick book and began to read. The morning breeze mad her asleep soon, and after she placed the book on her torso she was fast asleep.

Not too long after Tifa fell asleep, a tall figure approached the tree. His long silver-colored hair cascaded behind him as the breeze blew his hair. His cat-like emerald eyes widened a bit as he noticed a small figure under the tree. His perfect sculptural lips turn into a small smirk when he saw the dark-brown haired girl, slept with her glasses still on her face. She looked so peaceful and content in her sleep. He watched her sleep, and noticed that she was slightly shivered. He sighed, and took off his black coat. He tucked the girl gently into his coat, and after he glanced at her sleeping form for the last time, the man walked away to the school's building silently.

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The homeroom already started. Cloud was fidgeting on his chair while the teacher made his entrance. Wait, there were another two people came inside the classroom. One of them easily caught Cloud's eyes. He was _freaky_ tall, and his piercing green eyes scrutinized the class. He had waist-length -silver-colored hair, which was tied neatly behind his neck. Beside him, there stood a young man with silky blonde hair and clear blue eyes. His attire was white, white, white, and white. From coat to his pants was all white. It was just his turtleneck shirt, his gloves, and shoes that weren't white; it was black. Why he used gloves, Cloud had no idea about that.

"Silent, yo!" Reno, the redheaded teacher was a young man in his mid-twenty. He always wore sunglasses on his head, and all of his clothing always looked like it never been touched by an iron from the first time he bought it. And he _loved _to flirt with pretty girls, included his _own_ students. But he was the most outgoing and carefree teacher in this school. Although he couldn't be an example of good teacher, but every students liked him. Cloud also liked him, but he wasn't sure Tifa like him. Once Tifa called him "Stupid-Redheaded-Jerk" after Reno flirted with her.

"Listen up, students. You see, I bring these two strangers in class." The blonde's left eyes twitched a little when he heard the word 'strangers'. He coughed a little. Reno noticed this, so he corrected his words quickly.

"Oookay, so they aren't strangers. This blonde man in over-clean-and-white clothes-"

"Reno" the blonde man warned him.

"Aye-aye sir, geez… Okay, so this man is our new principal, yo."

All the girl students squeaked happily.

"He's our new principal?"

"OMG, he's too young and _cute_ to be our principal"

"Such a fresh face, compared to the last principal"

"Of course, how can you compare that old-fat-piggy geezer with this young-handsome-cool man?"

Cloud rolled his eyes.

'Girls,' he thought, 'Lucky Teef isn't here. She's gotta vomit, I'm sure about that,'

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"ACHOOOO!!"

Tifa sniffled.

'What a nice nap… and it was disturbed by a sneeze. Cloud must be talking about me,'

She yawned lazily, and noticed another garment on top her. She grabbed it and took a better look of it. It was a black coat, and from its size it must be men's. Tifa wondered for a while, before she brought the coat with her belongings and headed back to the class.

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"His name is Rufus Shinra. From his name, you must know that he's the son of our last principal. As you already knew, Mr. Shinra died last week coz of heart attack. So Mr. Rufus will take his position starting for today. Your words, Sir"

Rufus stepped forward. He shoved his hands inside the pocket at his pants. His face looked bored as he eyeing the class.

"Pleasure to meet you, students. And it's a pleasure for me too to take over my old man position. I hope I can make a better principal than my father. So I beg your cooperation to make Shinra High School to be a better school" he spoke in a bored tone too, and then he flicked his bangs. All the girls were, "Awwwwwwww…"

"Silent, yo! Anyway, there's another man I will introduce to you. His name is Sephiroth Crescent, and he will be my substitute teacher,"

There was a little ruckus inside the class. Sure the students liked Reno, and his substitute teacher didn't look as… light-hearted as Reno. In fact, he seemed like he brought a storm along with him everywhere. His handsome face always looked grumpy. The students already claimed him as a killer teacher.

A girl named Jessie raised her hand.

"Um… Mister… Crescent. May I ask you something?" She asked hesitantly.

"Depends from the question," he answered curtly. Cloud frowned.

'What a _nice_ person…'

"Um… you see… from your last name, I guess that you still a family with our school's doctor, Ms. Lucretia Crescent, right…?"

"Yes, she's my younger sister,"

"I'm sorry I ask this, but… you don't look like-"

"Looks like her, I know,"

"Your hair color-"

"It's real, if that's what you wondering. And stop asking me dumb questions."

Jessie tried to say something, but she opted to silence; her face was red. Cloud saw the new teacher mouthing "Thank you".

'Damn, he just never learnt how to be polite to other people, huh?' he thought as he kept watching the man.

"Well children, as for the reason why Mr. Sephiroth is here, I want to tell you guys that I'll be leaving tomorrow for a while. Ya know, my mom is sick, and since she only had me, I gotta go to my hometown to take care of her. And FYI, Mr. Sephiroth will teaching you started from today, yo."

All of the students were grunted and whining. Not only that Reno would go for a while, they had to be taught by a teacher like Sephiroth.

"So, that's it. Mr. Rufus and I gotta go to another class. Please take care of my students, Mr. Sephiroth." Reno offered his hand to Sephiroth. Sephiroth looked at his hand, a smirk plastered on his face.

"I'll do my best." Sephiroth took Reno's hand and shake it.

"You must, yo."

Reno faced the students and bid them a farewell.

"See you next time, kids."

All the students yelled back, "Take care, Mr. Reno!"

After Reno and Rufus completely gone, Sephiroth took the student's name list and began to check on it.

"Allison Smith,"

"Here."

"Bob Doreen,"

"Here."

"Belle Lorne,"

"Present."

"Cloud Strife,"

"Hnn…"

(Several name later)

"Tifa Lockhart,"

"Um, Sir?"

"Yes, Strife?"

"Tifa Lockhart didn't feel good this morning, so she took a rest at the infirmary."

"…Okay. Timothy Brown,"

"Here, Sir"

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Tifa arrived at her class when the bell was ringing. The homeroom was just over. She opened the door, and she was opened her mouth to make an excuse to Reno when she realized that the teacher in front of her class wasn't Reno. His cat-like green eyes starring her, she could see a flash of recognition in his eyes, and it made her nervous. She stood dumbly at the door, closed her mouth, and then opened it again, and then closed it again. The new teacher lifted his elegant brows, and asked her in his deep, masculine voice,

"And who might you be?"

"Oh- I- umm… I'm… Tifa Lockhart."

"I see… Are you feeling better? Better enough to start study?"

"I…" Tifa stiffened and glanced at Cloud's direction. He mouthed, "I told him you sick" to her. She flicked her gaze back to the new teacher, and then she fixed her glasses. "…I 'm feeling better now, thank you. Now if you excuse me, I want to go back to my seat."

Sephiroth's eyes caught the black coat, which she brought along with her. He smirked a little before he replied her, "Sure, Ms. Lockhart. Please take your seat. The lesson will start soon."

Tifa quickly went to her chair. She sighed in relief that the new teacher didn't ask her furthermore.

"Oh, by the way Ms. Lockhart," he called her, made her stiffened again, "I'm a new teacher and also your new homeroom teacher, Sephiroth Crescent. Pleased to meet you"

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**A/N: **So, that's the first chapter, yo. Tell me if you like it or note, so review review review review!!


	2. The Detention

**Lone Hyena**

**By: irish d' salmon luver**

**Author's Note: **Haiyaa!!! Another chap is done!! BTW, I need a Beta. Anyone interest? Mail me. It's or you can see that on my profile.

**Disclaimer:** All the characters are © Square Enix, not me. Damn.

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**Chapter 02: The Detention**

Tifa made a mental note of this new teacher. He was CREEPY. The way his feline-like eyes scrutinized her when she came to the class, the way his rich and deep voice taunted her ear, the way his thin and sculptural lips smirked as he talked to her… the way about him just CREEPY.

_Creepy, or graceful?_

Damn conscience.

'Stop thinking about him, just concentrate on lesson. If I had time to thinking of him, it's better if I thinking about my jobs.'

Tifa stared blankly at the window, watched the sakura petals flew from whenever it was come from.

'Jobs, jobs, jobs. After school and later at night… it must be tiresome…'

She didn't realize someone approached beside her.

"Lockhart,"

'I should've quit my old job, but I still need so much money to fix my apartment. It leaks everywhere whenever it was raining.'

"Lockhart,"

Every student was sweat dropped right now. Cloud was pale as ghost. He wanted to warn Tifa, but the way _he_ standing beside her just like a predator watching its prey. Cloud could only wished for her life, safety, and soul.

But it seemed that Tifa still oblivious with her surrounding. She was still in daydream. So…

Sephiroth shouted.

"LOCKHART!"

Cloud prayed solemnly.

'O Lord, please bless her soul,'

Tifa stammered.

"Y-y-yes sir?"

His lips tugged upwards.

He answered her question with one simple word.

"Detention."

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'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! See how stupid you are, Tifa? Now you got detention, and you also late for your job! Fuck!' 

Tifa was standing in front of Sephiroth's desk at teacher's room. The entire teacher, except Sephiroth, was confused to see Tifa Lockhart, the cleverest and most diligent student in the school, having detention. With the new teacher, no less. Reno, _even_ Rufus watching them with so much interest.

Sephiroth began the investigation.

"Do you know why you were called here?"

"Because I'm daydreaming in your lesson, Sir."

"And in my first teaching day in school. What you were thinking back then?"

"I… I'm thinking of my part-time jobs, Sir."

"Part-time jobs? You have _more_ than one job?"

"Uh…yeah…"

Sephiroth asked Rufus.

"Mr. Shinra, is there any regulation about students having a part-time job?"

Rufus thought for a second.

"I… guess there isn't."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. Rufus quickly corrected his words, "Well… it depends on its reason. Now Miss Lockhart, why do you have part-time jobs? Don't you get full scholarship till university?"

Tifa sighed. It wouldn't over soon, and she surely late for her job. 'Let's just play along, shall we?'

"I need extra money to fix my apartment,"

"Why don't you ask your parents then?"

"Err… Mr. Sephiroth, her parents were already died." Reno interrupted. Sephiroth kept stoic and Rufus was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure.

"Both?"

"Yes."

"What about your relative?"

"The only one I know is the big brother from my father. But I don't really know him. We'd only met at my mother's burial, and it was two years ago. It was the first and the last time we met."

Tifa stopped for a while, catching her breath.

"He only said that he would take care of me, and he gave me the key of his apartment. Since then I lived at his apartment. I was so relieved to know that I'm not all alone, and since that day I decided to never be a burden for him. And ever since he left me for two year, I still didn't want to ask him for just a Gil. I have to make my own money."

"Enough of the drama."

Everybody in the room was looking at Sephiroth.

"Excuse me Sir?"

"I said, enough of the drama. I don't care if you have a hard time or whatsoever you still have a detention. You have to stay at the class this afternoon. You can go now, and wait me in the classroom. Understood?"

There again, his piercing eyes looking through her soul. Tifa swallowed a big lump on her throat.

"Understood, Sir. Excuse me."

As soon as Tifa left the teacher's room, Reno talked to Sephiroth.

"Don't you think you were a little bit too harsh to her, yo?" Reno scratched his head.

Sephiroth closed his eyes, "I don't think so," he answered as he folded his muscular arms over his also muscular chest.

Rufus had amused look on his face. "You know, even _I_ feel sorry for her," he said.

"Yeah, you were harsh to her, Mr. Crescent. She's one of my favorite students, just for your information."

A deep and cool voice floated on the air. Its owner, Vincent Valentine, was a Math Teacher. He was 24 years old, and he also the most favorite teacher along female students. No wonder, he was _so_ handsome, with his bloodshot eyes, shoulder-length raven hair and cold expression on his face.

Sephiroth smirked a little. He already knew about Vincent Valentine from his sister, Lucretia. And from the way she talked about him, Sephiroth was absolutely, positively and perfectly sure that his younger sister like him.

Reno decided to break the ice.

"Yo, how about we go to drink this night? Before I go tomorrow, I want to spend times with you guys. My treat! I found this place not so long ago. Oh, and to Mr. Sephiroth and Mr. Rufus, you can also join us! The greater the number, the better it'll be, yo!" And then he looked at his watch.

"Oops! I better get going now. There still much stuff to be packed. So, we meet again this night at Fiery Hyena Club. It's in Hallo Town. A bit too far, but it's worthy! They have the greatest beer and also the prettiest girl in the world! And remember, I won't take 'No' as your answer! All of you male teachers should come, yo!"

With that, Reno rushed out of teacher's room. Vincent was amused with all Reno's babbles.

"Teacher, went to Night Club?" He tskd. Sephiroth chuckled.

"Sometimes teachers need to have their pleasure time, don't they?" Rufus spoke, "And headmaster also counted."

Sephiroth stood, and he made his way out from the room. Rufus asked him, "Do you still want to give Miss Lockhart a detention, Mr. Crescent?"

Sephiroth gave him sinister smirks before he answered,

"Well, for me, it's my way to have my pleasure time."

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Tick. 

Tick.

Tick.

Tifa looked at the clock, which was hanging on the wall. It was 15 minutes ago since that creepy teacher told her to waiting him at the classroom.

"And he's not coming yet! Damn that teacher, he wasting my time!" Tifa yelled.

"Are you calling me?"

"AAH!"

Sephiroth was on the door, leaning on its frame. Smirk was turned on. Tifa clutched her hand in front of her chest, her face was pale; hell, she nearly had a heart attack!

"Never… ever… do that… again."

"Why?"

Tifa just wanted to retort him back, but she changed her mind. It was useless to debate with this person.

"…"

"…"

"…"

The smirk was turned off. There was a look of disappointed on his face. He was waiting for hot and sharp reply from her, but she just standing there, quiet as cemetery.

"Well, it's time to detention,"

Tifa jerked her head. Her face was paler than ever, if possible. Sephiroth just shrugged as he saw her face.

"Don't worry, I won't bite you… hard. It's your fault, though. You…"

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't want to be impolite to you, but can we just cut it out? Let just start the detention, so I can go to my job, although it's late already."

An amused smirk crept on his face. Tifa raised one of her eyebrow. She didn't like the sign.

"Well," he started, "Your detention is to spend your time in here, _and_, with me. Isn't it easy?"

Tifa's jaw dropped.

'For Judas's sake, I rather be punished by 1000 pages of paperwork or anything than spend my time with this creepy teacher!' Tifa's mind screamed. She shook her head, tried to regain her calmness. That was her plus point; she was all calm, cool, and collected.

_What about "coy"? It's still beginning with "c" letter._

'Oh, just shut up already my conscience!'

Tifa looked up at him.

"Is there something I have to do?"

"No. Just sit and silent. I don't care what you'll do, just keep quiet."

"For how long sir?"

"Let me think. Well, I guess about 3 hours. How about that?"

Tifa suddenly felt like she wanted to cry. Literally.

"Can you shorten it?"

"Let me think about it too. Nope."

"At least, can I call my boss?"

"Let see. Well, I see you can't do it."

"Dam… Darn," she sighed, "I guess there's no other way except spending my time, here, with **you**, huh?"

"Glad you understand. Now just take a seat, shall we?"

He gestured her to take a seat in front of his table. She sat down slowly, and folded her hands on the table and rested her head on her folded hands. Well, the teacher said she could do anything as long it's quiet, and sleep meant quiet. She still hadn't enough sleep, and while she was in detention she could use this time to take a nap.

Sephiroth watched her with full interest. He knew that she was fallen asleep already. He also knew that she didn't have decent rest, ever since he met her this morning, below the oak tree. He made the detention so Tifa could use her time to get some rest, not to waste her strength on her job.

Sephiroth stood, walking to Tifa's sleeping form. He bent down, and gently patted her head. He felt nostalgic as he did this. It just like when Lucretia and him were kids back then. Usually he patted her head to make Lucretia comfy. And seeing Tifa nuzzled her head to his hand, he knew that Tifa was comfy too.

"Sleep well, Little Princess."

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Tifa woke up from her deep slumber. She looked at the clock, and nearly chocked. 

"SIX P.M?! I SLEEP FOR ALMOST 3 HOUR?!"

"Ah, I see you're awaken now, Miss Lockhart."

Tifa gave the teacher a death glare. It seemed that it didn't work on him, though.

"Can I go now?" she whined.

"Hum… Let see…"

"Please, sir?"

"Hum…

"Pretty please?"

"…"

Sephiroth glanced at her. Tifa was looking at him with big, BIG pleading eyes that could even melt 10 meters-thick ice walls.

-Sighed-

"Okay, you can go now."

"FINALY!" she _screamed_, "I CAN GO! Thank you so much, Sir! God will always bless you like She bless the Queen!"

Tifa stormed off from the class, leaving Sephiroth bewildered.

"_She_?"

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**A/N:** Actually, this chap was veeeeeery long that I have to split it in two chapters. I know I'm such a loser…

…Anyway just give me review review review review review review review review!!!!!!!


	3. The Job

**Lone Hyena**

**By: irish d' salmon luver**

**Author's Note: **Actually, when I first wrote the second chapter, I made this chapter as the part of it. But when I think about it again, I decided to split the second chap into two chaps. Whatever… And when I started writing this story, I made Reeve to be Tifa's uncle. But I decided to make him as the restaurant manager where Tifa worked in. And who became Tifa's uncle is still a mystery, too.

**Disclaimer:** Who own Final Fantasy VII? It's not me, of course… **0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**Chapter 03: The Job**

7.00 P.M.

That was the clock say.

Tifa was freaked out.

So fucking freaked out.

It meant… her shift was already over!

Reeve, the restaurant manager, looked calm as ever. He was a kind man, and she knew that. But still…

"Am I… fired?"

"Huh?"

"I mean…"

"What do you want to say, Tifa?"

"I… late for the job… and also skipping my shift… so…"

"You think I'm going to fire you?"

Tifa nodded.

"You think I'm going to fire you because you were late and skipping your shift? Tifa, Tifa… Of course not!"

"Really sir?!" Tifa beamed. Reeve smiled at her reaction.

"No, I won't fire you because you're a good girl, diligent and also smart. It's a shame to fire you just because of that."

"Thank you sir!"

"But…"

"But?"

"I have to cut your honorarium."

Tifa groaned.

"Darn, since his first appearance, he just bring bad luck to me!"

"Who?"

"A new teacher. He's the one who made me late. I got detention until 6 o'clock just because I daydreaming in his lesson!"

Reeve held back a laugh. He was really fond of this girl like his own daughter.

"You better go home now. Take a nice shower, and then go to bed. You have to recharge for tomorrow. See yourself, you look so tired and wrinkled."

"Wrinkle? Where? Oh no, I'm getting old!"

Reeve laughed.

"Don't take it literally. My, my, is this teacher really worn you off? You really should take a nice sleep, Tifa."

Tifa sighed heavily.

"I guess so, Mr. Reeve. See you tomorrow, then."

"See you. Be careful, okay?"

Tifa rolled her eyes.

"Ooookay, daddy."

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Tifa walked away from thee restaurant building. A look of guilty plastered on her face.

"Sorry Mr. Reeve, I can't just go home and rest. I still have another job to do,"

She walked to Hallo Town direction.

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He stared at the neon sign. It was written "Fiery Hyena" in orange neon. His companion looked at the building. From outside, it just looked like an isolated area. It looked so plain with gray painted wall and a classic wooden double-door. But seeing all the expensive cars parked in front of the Night Club… Well, just not judge a book by its cover, right?

"Shall we go in?" Sephiroth asked his pal.

"…Maybe we should wait for Reno," Vincent shrugged.

"He's probably inside, roaming along the girls."

Vincent chuckled.

"You don't know him. He's the number one teacher in the school with the most absent."

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"Sorry I'm late!"

Tifa hurriedly closed the door. Inside the room there were a couple of seat with comfy cushions, vanity desks with big mirror, and also various kind of sexy but elegant costumes.

A blonde woman with blue eyes turned her head from her mirror. She wore a breathtaking red low-cut dress with slit that reached up her hips, her long leg wrapped by brown stocking, and she also wore maroon high heels.

"Late again? Never on time, I guess. I never came late," she said as she continued fixing her make-up.

Tifa forced a smile.

"Well, at least I come, right? And Scarlet, don't you have any other color besides red, red, red, and red? It's kinda boring you know, seeing you always in red. I know your name means red, but do you _have_ to _wear_ everything _red_?"

Scarlet's face began to fume.

"You just jealous because I look sexy in red!"

Tifa held up her hand.

"Excuse me, I'm _jealous_ to _you_?! Aren't you the one who jealous to me because I'm younger, the customer like me better than you, and I have _bigger boobs_?"

"You bitch—"

Just as Scarlet tried to buried her nails in Tifa's skin, there was a knock at the door.

"Hey get fucking ready you bitches! We'll start the show fucking soon!"

Both the woman and the girl looked at each other.

"Cid…" they muttered.

Tifa rushed to the change room after she picked up some attire. Before she went in, she looked at Scarlet.

"Let's call it truce."

"Truce, then."

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"Yo! Over here!"

Sephiroth and Vincent went to Reno's place. Reno had some girls sat beside him. Rufus was already there, along with Tseng, his vice and…

"Who is this bald man?" Sephiroth asked the young principal.

"His name is Rude. He's my bodyguard," Rufus answered as he sipped his peach cocktail.

"Bodyguard? Does a high school headmaster need a bodyguard?"

"Since I'm _also_ the new president of Shinra Company, I think I need to hire one bodyguard. Clear?"

"Crystal clear, Sir."

"Where's the other teacher?" asked Vincent.

"Stayed with their wives. We're the only single men in school." Rufus shrugged.

Reno interrupted their conversation.

"Quiet! The special show is about to begin! I already reserve this strategic seats so we can get good view to the stage!"

"Strategic?"

Reno just gave the men a sly smile.

"You'll see."

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"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to our club! Now, let me present you this special show! It's also a new show to introduce you our newcomer star, LONE HYENA!!"

Some beautiful young women wore sexy attire entered the stage and began to dance. Scarlet was one of those women. Vincent and Sephiroth looked at Reno.

"Is this a stripper club?" Vincent asked Reno. Reno shook his head and waved his hand.

"Nah, they're not strippers. Just erotic dancers."

"_Just_. Heh, _just _erotic dancer." Sephiroth amused as he shook his head.

"Hush! That's the new girl!"

"_Girl?_" Sephiroth shifted his eyes.

"Hell yeah! This chick is totally hot! She's the youngest dancer in this club, but heck she has the biggest tits I ever seen! She started working just yesterday."

Sephiroth looked at the stage. Reno was right. It was a beautiful _young_ girl, entered the stage with so much grace but also full of sexiness. Her curved body only covered by a black corset with frills at the back and her slender legs were also covered in black stocking. Her long dark brown hair, which tied at the end, flowed gracefully behind her back. Sephiroth watched the girl with so much interest. There was only one thought passed in his mind.

'She's… a nymph.'

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'Relax, Tifa… all you have to do is move your body just like when you stretching your body before your training, but with more sexiness put in it… heck, you already did this yesterday, so what's the problem?!'

Tifa mentally slapped herself. She could hear Cid spoke to the people in the club. And then she saw Scarlet walked towards her. Tifa sighed, and then asked her lazily.

"What do you want, Scarlet?"

"I just want you to remember that even if you're the top star today, it doesn't mean that you're the _real_ star!"

"Is that all you want to talk about? Humph, you better get away to the stage now and do your part before I give you a nice red color on your stomach. Don't you like it?"

Scarlet backed away. Her face was red. She pointed her index finger to Tifa's face.

"This time you win, Lockhart!"

"But I thought you like red!" Tifa waved her punch playfully to Scarlet's direction.

Scarlet stormed to the stage, joining the other dancers. Tifa laughed silently, and then spoke to her self.

"Well, I better get in too."

And it was only one minute ago after she entered the stage when her eyes caught a glint of silver… hair…

'Oh **SHIT**!!!'

There he was, that CREEPY teacher, with Mr. Reno (not really think about it), Mr. Vincent (NOOOO!!! My favorite teacher is in here too?!), and Mr. Rufus Shinra & co. (WHAAAAT??!!! EVEN THE PRINCIPAL AND HIS VICE THEMSELVES?!!)

'I'm so fucking die tonight…'

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A/N: There you are! I was kinda lazy to describe the club… it just held one point, simple but alluring. That's it…

Before you hit the back button or whatsoever, don't forget to gimme review, 'kay?


	4. The Encounter

**Lone Hyena**

**By: irish d' salmon luver**

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm SO sorry I haven't updating for so long!!! I've been busy all this month, with the new college and yada, yada, yada…

Thanks a lot to razorblade romantic for the proofread! You did a great job!!

**Disclaimer: **La la la la la… I didn't own the characters… La la la la la…

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**Chapter 04: The Encounter**

"Yo Lone Hyena! You **ROCK**!"

Tifa thought otherwise.

She felt like shit.

She danced like a robot. Stiff, automatic, no expression…

Like she ever showed expression in this job anyway.

But now she had no time to think about it. She had to run. Somewhere. Anywhere. She didn't care. Anywhere she could escape from that creepy teacher.

'No, no, no, no, no! He always looks this way!! Don't say he recognize me already!! NOOOOO!!!' Tifa thought with worry, her expressionless face hiding her fears.

Well, Sephiroth did not recognize her. Not yet.

Dear readers, do you want to know what exactly Sephiroth thinking just now?

…I would like to tell you all, but heck, have anyone know what exactly he thinks?! He's that Mighty Sephiroth, for Jenova's sake!

-Cough Cough- Okay, back to the story…

No, no, Sephiroth didn't recognize her. He watched Tifa just like a hawk watched its prey, but that because… well, how I put this…

Let just say this young woman on stage intrigued him.

This Lone Hyena. The way she moved her curved body to dance… The way her beautiful long dark brown hair flowed gracefully behind her back… The way her mesmerizing eyes glanced to their corner…

Everything was just perfect.

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Everyone in the club clapped their hands as the show ended. Tifa dashed to the changing room, ignoring Cid who wanted to praise her for her work. When she reached changing room, she quickly changed into a white tank top and black skirt with suspenders, and then a coat over her shoulder. Tifa rushed to the back exit. But too add her bad luck, she encountered Scarlet on her way.

'Now what?! Another mental attack?!' Tifa thought, nearly letting out an agitated grunt.

"What do you want now, Scarlet? Speak now or never!" She asked the other woman harshly.

Scarlet's lips curled into a mischievous grin before responding.

"Go home so fast? Why don't you go accompany the guests to earn some extra tips? I saw a bunch of hot guys at the table in front of the stage. They're all good looking, especially the guy with silver hair. Well, the blonde and the black-haired guys were hot too…" Scarlet's eyes filled with lust as she trailed off her sentences.

"So, why are you telling me? It's so rare to see you offering your 'locked' targets." Tifa asked with a smirk across her lips. "Besides, I don't have time to fool around with the guests. I still have a life to live on, unlike you. Go on, offer yourself to them."

Scarlet's grin vanished. She narrowed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. When she spoke, her voice carried a dangerous tone. "You dare to mock me, Lockhart?"

"No, I'm not mocking you." Tifa said, with a sweet smile on her face. In just a flash, her eyes narrowed and the smile turned serious. "I'm just saying the truth." Another flash and the smile was back on her lips. "Bye, Scarlet! I hope you have a nice night!" She said, turning from the stunned woman and heading toward the exit again.

Scarlet's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe that brat had said that to her, and then just runaway! Anger filled her features as she turned nearly as scarlet as her name's sake.

"You… you chicken!! Coward!!" She yelled after the younger woman's retreating form.

But Tifa couldn't hear her. She was already outside greeting the club's bouncer, Barret. He was a big, black man, and although he lost his right arm, he still looked frightening. Of course, it didn't hurt that he replaced his lost arm with a mechanical one. How and where did he get that mechanical arm, she didn't know _and_ didn't want to know.

"Hey Tifa, going home so soon?" He asked her, his voice deep and rough.

Tifa nodded. "Yeah. If Cid starts looking for me, tell him I had to go home. I have to do my homework."

"Whatever. Hell, if you want to go home, then just go home already! Have a safe trip!" He told her, his voice holding a slight laugh.

Tifa smiled at him and made her way home. Even though Barret looked frightening, he treated Tifa like his own daughter from the very first day she got this job. And Cid, though he had such a bad mouth and smoked like train, he always treated her properly. Those men would never harass her, which mean that the other men employees wouldn't dare to touch her. At least she knew that this nightclub wasn't as bad as general people thought.

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Meanwhile at the club, after the show was over, Sephiroth couldn't get his mind of the Lone Hyena. He felt like he had met her, but where? He wasn't the type that could forget someone's face so easily, especially a person like her. He already looked over his surroundings, searching for any sign of her. Every dancer was now roaming the club, but he couldn't find this so called Lone Hyena. Just when he was about to give up, Cid came passing by their table. Sephiroth quickly called him over.

"Yes, sir? Do you enjoy the show?" Cid asked in his gruff voice.

"Fabulous! That Lone Hyena completely rocked!" Reno chirped in.

Sephiroth grunted. Vincent and Rufus just shook their heads, while Tseng and Rude kept impassive.

"Do you know where she is? The Lone Hyena?" Sephiroth asked Cid.

Cid pulled the cigarette from his mouth. "Nope. I think she already went home. She's quite young anyway; it isn't healthy for her to stay out so late in the night."

Sephiroth sighed. "Can I get… her name? And her phone number?"

Cid frowned. He took another puff from his cigarette before answering Sephiroth.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But she demanded completely privacy. I won't tell her name or give any personal information out about her."

Sephiroth bit his bottom lip.

Sensing his distress, Cid quickly continued. "If you want to, you can come again tomorrow. I can ask her to stay and I swear to you, if she feel like to giving you her name, she will."

Sephiroth merely nodded as Cid excused himself. The other men eyed Sephiroth. Reno had his annoying grin on his face. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes to the redhead.

"What?!" he snapped.

Reno's grin only went wider.

"So you _like_ the dancer, eh? The Lone Hyena?"

Sephiroth rolled his eyes nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. I mean… you not only asked her name but also her phone number! Wasn't that obvious, yo?" Reno shifted his head to the other guys. Rufus nodded, while Vincent held a smile, and Tseng and Rude kept impassive as ever.

Sephiroth huffed, "I just have a feeling that I've met her. That's all."

Reno burst in laugh. "Alright, man. But I saw how glued your eyes were at her every movement! And I bet 100 Gil that you couldn't take your eyes off her boobs!"

Sephiroth suddenly stood and walked away from the table toward the door, which made Reno stop laughing immediately.

"Hey! Where are you going, Seph?!" Reno shouted.

Sephiroth looked over his shoulder.

"Home. Bye."

With that, he walked through the door.

Reno just looked at his company.

"He's embarrassed, yo."

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After he closed the door behind him, Sephiroth walked through the dark street. Just when he turned to what seemed like the back of the club, someone bumped into him. His heart beat faster as he recognized the person. It was the Lone Hyena!

He couldn't be mistaken, with her long dark brown hair and her figure. He noticed she was startled when she looked at the person she bumped into. She held her breath, and he could feel her go stiff. Sephiroth couldn't help but stare into her wide chocolate-almost-red eyes. He didn't realize that he held the girl's arms tightly. Only when the girls squirmed on his hold, he realized that he held her much too firm. He quickly let go of her.

"So… sorry," he stuttered. Damn, he's never stammered over a girl before!

She just stroked her sore upper arms, and keeping her head bowed before she rushed past him. He could only hear a whisper, coming from her mouth.

"I'm the one who has to say sorry."

And then she was engulfed by darkness, disappearing from his sight. Sephiroth just stood there, stunned by her melodic voice.

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When she reached her apartment, Tifa let out a heavy sigh. Shit, that was a close one!

'I hope he doesn't find out it was me… or else I doomed.' She thought as another sigh escaped her lips.

She put her bag on the coffee table in front of television as she clicked the remote and started roaming through the channels. She stopped at a music channel, as it was playing a soft jazz music. Tifa let the music soothe her mind before she turned off the TV and entered the bathroom. Stripping all of her clothes off, she turned on the shower and felt the warm water rinsed her tired body.

She recalled when she bumped into Sephiroth. Why, of all the people to bump into, did it have to be HIM?! She shivered as she remembered how his glowing emerald eyes stared deeply at her own. How his scent filled her nostril. The way he held her hands like he didn't want to lose her… The way he stuttered his word when he just said sorry to her…

It amused her to found out that the creepy teacher could ever stutter like that. It's just… he always talked in that cocky tone and with so much confidence that it made her want to slice his throat and sew his lips s-l-o-w-l-y… Hmm, that would be blissful for her to do that…

…Okay, she sounded like a psycho killer now. Every thought of that creepy teacher always led her to thinking bad, almost demonic. And it scared her.

Well, of course sometimes she had awful thoughts, but she never thought in such a _sadistic_ way. And all of this started since that creepy teacher came and messed up her life.

Tifa walked out from the bathroom and then she put on her underwear, an oversized shirt and shorts. She picked up her bag, and started to prepare her things for tomorrow. That was when she noticed the garment inside her bag. It was the black coat she found when she slept under a big oak tree back at school. She took it, and scrutinized it. She held it a little closer. It was a beautiful coat. It was made from leather, and its trim was made from silver threads. Tifa couldn't help but to bury her head into the coat. She breathed in its scent. Somehow, the scent reminded her of a certain someone, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The scent intoxicated her. She got up slowly and brought the coat to her bed. As she lied on her bed, she closed her eyes while she kept breathing in the intoxicating scent. It felt like everything that happened today suddenly flew from her mind.

She decided to keep the coat, until she found out the owner. Maybe they could be friends… she really needed a person than could pacify her worries, fears, and angers. It wasn't like she couldn't count on Cloud; she just needed someone new to her life. A perfect stranger was the perfect friend to reveal her problems.

Or so she thought.

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**A/N: **Maybe some of the readers thought 'How could Sephiroth didn't recognize Tifa when she danced at the club or when she bumped into him?!'

First, Tifa put on a thick make up, and the club's lightings were dim. Second, it was so dark when she bumped into Sephiroth that Sephiroth could only saw her eyes slightly.

Okay, I know those reasons were a bit too making up, but…


	5. The Confession

**Lone Hyena**

**By: irish d' salmon luver**

**Author's Note: **I don't have any purpose to make bashed any character. Never. I LOVE all the Final Fantasy VII characters (Well, except Scarlet maybe…)

**Disclaimer: **All the Final Fantasy VII characters are belong to Square Enix.

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**Chapter 05: The Confession**

What is the worst thing Tifa ever had in the morning? Well, in the morning at her school, inside her classroom?

"Morning Teef."

"Morning, Cloud…"

Being greeted with her childhood friend, the Dearest Cloud **cough Chocobo's head cough** Strife.

"Hey Teef…"

"What is it, Cloud…?"

"You look tired. Lack of sleep again?"

"Maybe…"

"What are you? Some insomniac?!" he shouted.

"… Don't shout, your voice banging and echoing inside my head…"

"You look more like you got hangover, Teef."

"How do you know?"

"WHAT?! YOU REALLY DRUNK?!"

"Of course not, Cloudy. Just kidding. Joking. Can't you get it?"

"Well, I'm NOT the one with super intelligence brain here… Hey, DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"And you shan't mocking my intelligence again."

"Hmmm…"

"But it's the truth! Your intelligence is beyond ours the _Homo sapiens_ here!! Right, guys?!"

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight…………" The entire students, except Tifa of course, were agreed.

"Hmmm…"

"Oh **THANK YOU** so **MUCH** for your **FRIENDLY LOVE**!!" Tifa rolled her eyes.

"HA-HA!! Now prepare for your doom, you- you… the next evolution of us the human!"

"…"

"CLOUD!!"

"Or maybe you're an alien in undercover, trying to attack our Planet?! Because only aliens who have such an intelligence like yours!"

"…"

"Really, Cloud! What exactly are you talking about?! You just babbling about none-sense, you know?!"

"Because the Teef I know never overdoing something!!"

Tifa gasped. The whole classmates were wolf-whistling and cheering. Tifa looked at her surrounding, and then looking back at Cloud. The aforementioned boy was looking back at her, gazing intently into her eyes.

"I'm sick to always worried about you, Teef. Don't you know how sad I am when I saw your weary face? When your face began to lost its shine since your parents dead?!"

All the students were quiet now. They were staring at the couple with interest. Cloud stepped closer to her. Tifa could feel her blood rushing to her cheek. "And to make me even more sad is…" The students held their breath as Cloud grabbed her right hand.

"You never told me anything about your problem, ever since the death of your parents. I feel ashamed to myself, Teef. I **am** your best friend since we were kids, but now I feel like you're walking away from me… like I can't reach you again…"

"Oh, Cloud…" Tifa's cheek began to redden.

Silence. She lost of her words. Cloud was waiting for her reply, so did their classmates. Never in her mind that Cloud would say such… sweet words. Well, maybe he could, but not to her. She was just his best friend. If he wanted to say such those sweet words, he would say it to another girl. The girls he liked the most, he cared the most. Not just a girl he known for his entire life. Like her.

And the silence was broken with…  
"Maybe it's not the right time to interfere your romantic confession, but… the lesson had already started for 15 minutes ago, kids. And you better not make me waiting for any longer, or I give _all_ of you…"

Dramatic pause. All the students were waiting for Sephiroth to continue his speech with pale face, round big white eyes and big sweat drop à la anime style. He smirked, feeling satisfied to get their full attention on him after waiting for so long, without anybody to acknowledge him because they were too occupied by that foolish confession. He breathed in (to put more tension) before continued in low, deep tone.

"Detention."

Not wasting anymore time, the students rushed back to chair and prepared their book, except Tifa and Cloud. It were only them who still standing in front of the class, still shocked from the sudden emergence by Sephiroth in the middle of the confession. Tifa still blushing, while Cloud looked at Sephiroth with so much hatred plastered on his face. Sephiroth rose one of his eyebrows, waiting for the couple to get back to their chair. Defeated, Cloud walked back to his desk with Tifa in tow, and then Sephiroth began the lesson.

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It was school's break. Tifa just wanted to go to her secret place (the place with big oak tree when she fell asleep at Chapter 01) when Yuffie, Aerith and Zack came to her class and detained her and Cloud. They were their closest friends in school, although they were in different grades and classes. Yuffie was in first grade while Aerith and Zack were in third grade. Sometimes they played to their class, like now.

"I heard something cool when we walked here," Aerith started.

"What is it? If it's important you can speak, if it's not even worth my time then scram," Tifa replied with boring face. It was not a secret that Aerith like to gossip about _everything _and_ anything_, and her friends weren't exception. Aerith just wanted to continue when Yuffie chirped in, "Is it true that Cloud confess to you, Teef?! Really?! Really?!"

Tifa, Cloud, Aerith, and Zack had to covered their ears before Yuffie's scream made their ears bleeding. Tifa just walked away, pretending she didn't hear the (still) hysterical Yuffie with her earsplitting screech. Cloud wanted to catch upon her but Aerith held him. She gave him a sweet, reassuring smile.

"Let her go. She needs time to relax. I can see her exhausted face from the corner of corridor. But anyway," her smile turned into evil smirk, "You have to explain **EVERYTHIN**G about your **CONFESSION**, or I'll ask Zack to… you don't want to know what I'm gonna do with you."

Cloud's face began to pale, white as ghost.

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"Stupid people with their stupid gossip and stupid confession!!"

Tifa yelled to no one. The wind swallowed her voice. She was standing below the big oak tree, releasing her stress since this morning. It wasn't only the confession, but also, along the lesson she caught the creepy teacher looking at her with a glint of mischievousness in his piercing eyes. Oh, how she really hoping, how she really wanted the earth cracked and swallowed her alive, and then she fell into the abyss of earth and then drowned into magma, burning her skin into her skeleton, and then become ashes.

Become nothing.

A bitter smile crept upon her beautiful face. Just two years ago, before the death of her parents, she wanted to become everything. She studied hard to be number one in her class, trained martial arts with Master Zangan to be strong. She just wanted to make her parents happy. To made them proud of her. To be their everything.

But all of it lost since it. That horrible accident not only stole her parents, but also her purpose to living her life. She just wanted to throw everything she had until that time, but she found no courage to done it. She couldn't stop something she already started; she had to finish it before she leaving her past life. So she kept study, training, study, training, and study… until she finished it. She couldn't stop in the middle, even when she feeling so sick of it that she just wanted to vomit, but she just couldn't stop. She had to keep going.

Her thought was distracted when she heard something, or rather someone, approaching. She looked behind her where the sound came, but quickly turned her head away when her eyes met a pair of green eyes and a lock of silver tresses. Sephiroth just sneer when he watched her reaction. She really loathed him, so he guessed. He kept walking, and then stopped beside her. They didn't say anything, until Tifa decided to break the silence.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I just want to get away from the ruckus."

"Ah, _that_ ruckus? I quite wondering how can you bear all of that for a long time without being crazy, or at least make you lost your concentration with the lesson?"

Proud smirk.

"That's my talent. No matter how stress I am, I still can focus on my study."

"Then, why were you daydreaming in the first day I'm teaching you?"

Proud smirk vanished, replaced by blush and frown.

"…That's none of your business."

Sephiroth didn't reply. Instead, he sat under the tree. Tifa looked at him with quizzical gaze when he gestured her to sit beside him. Hesitantly, she sat down on his left side, but still keeping her distance safely from the teacher.

"You just like her," he spoke softly, gazing at the bushes, which surrounded the place. Tifa glanced at him. His face look more handsome within the shade of the tree, made him look more relax and harmless. Tifa shifted her gaze to the ground, found a little flower with violet petals. She picked the flower and brought it closer to her face.

"Who?"

"Someone."

"Someone who?"

"It's a secret."

"I bet she's your lover."

"Nope. I never have any interest to find a lover."

"You're kidding."

"No."

"You never have been into a deep relationship with any woman? That's totally ridiculous!"  
"Why is it?"

"Because—"

She stopped talking. She just couldn't say "Because you're so handsome that every women will creep over you just to get a step closer to your feet," so easily.

'Nope, totally not,' she thought. She played with the little flower in her grasp, didn't know whether she keep asking him or not. Sephiroth sensed her dilemma.

"Maybe I never have any relationship with women, but the woman I said before is special. She's a perfectionist, want to finish everything flawlessly, and won't stop till it's really over." Tifa stiffened. "I can't be compared with someone like that."

"And why not?" One silver eyebrow rose.

"That person… she wants to finish everything for something perfect, something great. She's a wonderful person. She's everything but me…" she inhaled before continuing, "I'm just a coward. I just running away from my own problem with doing everything I've been done until now perfectly. I'm just a runaway, not someone as great as the person you talk about."

Tifa exhaled. For a moment Sephiroth thought that the girl would cry, but she just closed her eyes, feeling the wind blew her face softly. She looked so serene. It looked like the girl that just spilled out her trouble was gone, replaced by a girl with new purpose of life. Sephiroth watched her bangs covering her glasses, so he moved a hand to tuck it back. His touch made her eyes snapped open, revealing reddish brown orbs behind those glasses. Sephiroth held his breath as he met her eyes. Those eyes looked so intense, deep, and passionate. They'd been locking their gaze like forever, and Sephiroth couldn't even think when the words escaped his mouth.

"You're beautiful."

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**A/N:** Kinda short, but I like this chap. it's just so sweet for me… with all of those confession from Cloud and Sephiroth… Well then, see you all in next chap!!


	6. The Investigation

**Lone Hyena**

**By: irish d' salmon luver**

**Author's Note: **After all this time, I'm back…

**Disclaimer:** I never own Final Fantasy VII or Sephiroth or Tifa. Ever.

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Chapter 06: The Investigation

"You're beautiful."

As soon as the words escaped from his lips, Tifa felt like the time had stopped. Her mind was buzzing with incoherent thoughts. Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth hanging open like an idiot. She didn't know what to respond; yet she still felt unbelievable that the cold hearted, arrogant teacher would ever say such thing to a woman, moreover _her_.

**HER.**

Tifa still preoccupied with her own thoughts, she missed a shocked expression on Sephiroth's face.

For Planet's sake, why on the earth he said those words? To **HER**, no less. What was his brain thinking to let those _words _blurted out from his mouth? He never praised a woman before, and now he just did that to a merely 17 years old high school student. Not even he praised Lucretia, her sister, sincerely like that. And compared to this little girl, Lucretia was more, more beautiful than her.

But when he looked at those reddish brown eyes, he felt that those eyes drowned him. He could see everything from those glowing orbs, and even her glasses couldn't prevent him to see what lies beneath. He _knew_ he ever saw eyes so beautiful like that. The question is where did he see such enthralling eyes that?

That was when something flashed in his memory.

Last night…

Sephiroth quickly grabbed Tifa's wrists, his action made the girl yelped in surprise. The man looked straight to her eyes, as if he wanted to match the face inside his memory with the one before him. Tifa could only watched Sephiroth bewildered, just for a moment ago he said that she's beautiful, and then now he was studying her face like she was some kind of new species of living creature.

Or maybe…

'He already find out that I'm Lone Hyena?! In the name of Holy, FUCK!'

Sephiroth's voice startled Tifa from her miserable thoughts.

"Are you…"

Oh dear Odin, the **SUSPENSE**!!

"… Are you working tonight?"

The question really caught her off guard. "Huh?"

"Are you working tonight?" Sephiroth asked Tifa once again. Unsure what she had to say to answer the question, she just nodded her head. Sephiroth let go of her wrists, still looking at her with a stare that could kill a bison.

"Do you mind if I… well, let's just say that I want to know where are you working at."

His words had attacked Tifa like Fury.

'I'm. So. Doomed.'

Still, Tifa tried to make an excuse. "And… why do you want to know where am I working?" asked the weary girl.

Sephiroth seemed to find out that right now, his shoes were the most interesting item in Planet. Tifa could feel his uneasiness inside him judging by how he was shifted from leg to leg, from toe and toe… Sephiroth left out a desperate sigh before he finally answered her, "I just want to know if your working place is decent enough for a high school girl like you."

Tifa's eyes widened at his statement. "Excuse me, you think I'm working at some indecent place?!" How could he think like that while he himself had visited that kind of place last night?!

"I just want to make sure, okay?" Sephiroth retorted back. _I just want to make sure whether you are Lone Hyena or not_.

Tifa didn't say anything. She wanted to - no, _had_ to think the right decision. A wrong choice of act would lead her into calamity. Sephiroth waited for her to say her decision, but as minute passed he could feel a cold sweat trickled from his forehead, down to his chin and then dropped to the ground.

"Okay," she finally said, "You can come to my workplace, but promise me one thing."

"What one thing?" Sephiroth asked back. _To not blow up your cover as Lone Hyena at school?_

Tifa looked straight to his eyes. A look of determination showed on her face.

"Do **NOT** make any trouble. I don't want to get fired by my boss, okay?"

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_-After school, at Tifa's workplace-_

"Mr. Crescent, please don't look at me like that. This… is embarrassing…" Tifa said and she blushed under the scrutinize eyes of Sephiroth. She couldn't run away because the man held her hand in an iron grip.

"But… these clothes… and your appearance…" Sephiroth's voice held an amusement as he eyed the poor girl before him.

"Mr. Crescent, THIS is my uniform, and I HAVE to wear THIS clothes when I'm working. That's the rules," her free hand was placed on her hip, an annoyed look plastered on her face but the red tint still lingered on her cheek. Sephiroth didn't let her free, though.

"Sir, I can't stay in your table **forever**. I still have to serve the other customers," Tifa couldn't hold her impatience anymore. Sephiroth tilted his head. "Let the other serves them, then," he talked back. For a second, the man could see a vein popped from Tifa's temple. The young girl breathed deeply, as if to gather another stock of patience. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her eyes were watery.

"Mr. Sephiroth Crescent, with all respect, I'm begging you, please let me get back to work. If the manager saw me slacking the job, he will surely fire me right here, right now. I nearly got fired because I was late, and I don't want to get fired now. So please, I'm begging you—no, I'm pleading you, just let me get back to work, okay?" her tone was full of distress and sorrow, and Sephiroth felt a bit guilty to held her in his place like this. But he couldn't help it! The sight of the girl in front of him was too… enticing, in many ways. He never expected to see the smartest student in Shinra High School dressed as… waitress.

Yep, a bloody **WAITRESS**.

Tifa tried to hold her embarrassment and anger. She was embarrassing by the way people looked at her and the older man. 'They must've thought that I tried to flirt this guy,' Tifa rubbed her pulsing temple, tried to get her problems away from her head, but she couldn't.

As long as she was with this freaking silver haired man, she couldn't get away from troubles.

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Sephiroth kept watching Tifa working. He watched how she moves, how she talk, how she smile, he watched every detail of her action and tried to compare it with the Lone Hyena.

He couldn't see the similarity of Tifa Lockhart's action with the Lone Hyena's.

Yet, why he had a feeling that he faced a same person?

Was it because she had the same long dark hair?

Was it because she had the same reddish brown eyes?

Or was it because she acted so different from Lone Hyena, as if she tried to distinguish herself?

Sephiroth smirked as he saw Tifa slipped by her own foot and broke down about three glasses and two plates.

'Nah, she's totally different from Lone Hyena. Tifa Lockhart is a serious but clumsy girl whereas Lone Hyena is alluring and mysterious. I must've lost my mind to even compare that gracious dancer with this—' his thoughts were cut by a sound of another fallen plate.

'This graceless, inexperienced waitress.'

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"Tifa, are you alright? It seems that you're kinda… distracted today."

Tifa looked at the asker. It was Shelke, a young girl about 14 with short brownish red hair and deep azure eyes. She was another waitress at the family restaurant, and she always looked upon Tifa. They were at the front door, ready to accept any new guest.

"I can see that you're not concentrating at all with your task. You've broken 7 plates and 13 glasses, not including the bowls. What's wrong with you today, Tifa? You know you can tell me everything," she asked the older girl again.

Tifa smiled at the worrisome girl, "Thank you, Shelke. Sorry I make you worry. I just… well… you see the silver haired man that came with me today?"

"The one that always held you at his table?"

"Exactly."

"Who is he?"

"He's my new homeroom teacher. Today he went with me to know where my working place is, and he never tired to bug me."

"Bug…? You mean… an insect?"

"Noooo, I mean he never tired to irritate me. It looks like he always has a way to kick my butt."

Shelke had this very shocked expression on her face.

"You mean… he sexually harassed you? Oh Tifa, that man's so awful! I must go tell the police!"

Tifa held Shelke's hand before she could go outside in any second. She totally forgot how naïve this girl could be.

"Shelke, Shelke, don't go. Okay, I chose another wrong word. No, he never sexually harassed me, but sometimes he verbally harassed me. I'm kinda curious how the Headmaster accepted him to be a teacher. He should've been a security guard or a hit man, don't you think?"

Shelke stole a glance over Sephiroth and nodded slowly.

"Yeah, he could be a security guard _and_ a hit man. But I think there's another job that will suit him."

"And what is that?"

"Looking at his long, smooth, silvery hair… I think he's suitable to be a hairstylist."

That innocent statement made the older girl burst into laugh, which made the customer, including Sephiroth now watching the non-stop laughing Tifa.

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Even after her shift was over, Tifa couldn't stop giggling; the picture of Sephiroth, with his gruff expression, styling people's hair, it was just too hilarious! This ever-giggling school girl Tifa made Shelke a bit afraid. She was happy that the long haired girl could laugh again, but to think that she couldn't stop the laugh… that just scared her.

"Tifa, are you… alright? You can't stop laughing; I almost thought that you've become mad."

"**Haha**—I'm—**haha**—I'm alright, Shelke. I—I just can't stop picturing Sephiroth becomes a hairstylist! Well anyway, thanks for cheering me up, Shelke."

The younger girl's expression brighten up, "No problem, Tifa! I'm always more than happy to help you! You're my idol, after all…"

Tifa rolled her eyes playfully, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say… Oh my, look at the time! I have to go now! Bye Shelke!"

Tifa waved to Shelke and the redhead waved her back. She opened the backdoor and stunned to find… none other than Sephiroth himself. The man smirked as he saw the dumbfounded girl.

"Surprised to find me here?"

"What… are you doing here?"

"Well, I've been bugging you all this time and since it's already dark, I thought to drive you home as my apology," he shrugged. He didn't know why seeing her depressed face always brought a smile to his face.

"Yeah, you've been bugging me all this time, and you shouldn't bug me more with driving me home. I've enough time with you today, okay?!" she said back, couldn't hold her anger anymore. 'Because if you come with me, I can't go to the club!' she silently thought.

Smile vanished from his lips. He already expected a hot reply, but he never thought that it could be that harsh.

Sephiroth took a step forward and leaned over, "It's that how you suppose to talk with your teacher, Lockhart?"

Tifa glared back at the older man, "And it's that how a teacher treats his student? If you are a nicer person I will respect you more!"

"Enough! Now you get into and I'll drive you home. That's the final and you're not allowed to say any words!"

This silenced the girl, and she rushed outside, holding back tears. She usually not an easily upset one, but this man, only this man that was capable to made her distressed like this. Not even Cloud's stupidity could upset her like this.

_I'm afraid… he's going to break my mask…_

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**A.N:** Okay… after a long, long, and long hibernation, I come again! Sorry, sorry, and sorry for the long absent! I had so much assignment that I hardly could breath. The assignment couldn't give me a new idea for my story, too. Blame them, not me, m'kay? End of this nonsense, I'll see you soon when… I get the next chapter done!


	7. The Gift

**Lone Hyena**

**By: irish d' salmon luver**

**Author's Note: **Okaaaaay, so I'm back again… This chapter is killing me, _literally_. It tries to choke me to death with horrendous writer's block. Not to say I have other stories to be preoccupied too… which I don't really know if I should ever publish or update to. And… I still haven't found new Beta, so to say frankly, this chapter is a mess.

**Disclaimer:** Let me see my list of "Taken Copyright" first… Nope, I'm still not the proud owner of Final Fantasy 7 or anything. Oh, and the term 'animal behaviorist wasn't mine, too. I took it from a novel called "Zamba" but I forgot who wrote it… It's a nice novel, based from true story, and all you animal lovers have to read it! It's worthy, I promise!

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**Chapter 07: The Gift**

Sephiroth went to catch up with Tifa and found the crying girl stood beside his car. He sighed in relief that he finally found her, but he also felt a pang in his heart to found her crying. He knew he was too harsh before with her, but he just couldn't control himself.

Every time he was with this girl, he just couldn't hold himself to confront her.

'Was I attracted to this young, immature girl?'

He walked towards her silently, trying not to disturb his troubled student. But it seemed like she had a third eye on the back of her head because she noticed him coming and said with weariness in her voice, "You win. Just take me home and let this be over tonight."

Sephiroth just shrugged and then he unlocked his car. He just wanted to open the door's car for her but her hand stopped him, "I can do it by myself, thanks," and then she stepped inside his car without saying another words. Sephiroth decided to follow her game; if she wanted to stay silent along the way, let her be. If she still didn't say anything, not even her address, well, he could always drive her to the police station and let the police take care of her. It was that simple.

They've been in the road for a while until Sephiroth realized one thing. He **couldn't** ignore her silence. It was just way too… agitating to have a person who always annoyed at the presence of you suddenly didn't say any words to you while he or she sat next to you. Sephiroth liked to ignore people, not to be ignored by them. So, he decided at last to break the ice.

"So, will you tell me where your apartment is or not?"

Tifa glanced at him with tired expression and replied, "It's at the Sector 7, the Seventh Heaven. It's a big white building and the only apartment in the area, so you won't miss it," and then she fell silent again.

This really annoyed Sephiroth.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about my harsh statement earlier. I know I've crossed the line; I regretted it and I meant it. Now, will you stop this silence-action or not? I can't suppress the suspense anymore!"

This finally got her attention. Tifa turned her head from the window and stared at the older man. He didn't know why, but the look of her bloodshot eyes due to her cry made a shiver ran to his spine, and he hated it. He used to intimidate people, and now a look of merely seventeen years old high school girl intimidated him.

When Tifa spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, "I'm the one who has to say sorry."

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It was like a déjà-vu for Sephiroth. He knew he had heard the same statement before…

_Last night._

_Lone Hyena._

_Their encounter._

Now that he thought about it, her voice resembled to the one of Lone Hyena. And her eyes… even behind the glasses, he could see the chocolate-almost-red orbs so clearly. The same color as Lone Hyena's. And he bet if the girl wore her dark chocolate hair down and tied it loose, she would be a mirror existence of Lone Hyena.

_Too much resemblance to be a coincidence…_

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Meanwhile, Tifa didn't care much about Sephiroth gazed at her face so intently. She was so tired, weary and worn-out. She just wanted to go home and hoping it all would be forgotten the next day. She needed some time alone, in silence and in safety of her apartment. So, to make the grumpy teacher to at least shut his mouth and drove her safely to her haven, she decided to play the defeated player, even if it was against her conscience of victory.

"Yeah, I'm the one who has to say sorry. I was so rude to you and even confront you back then. Maybe I'm too exhausted because I'm over-working and blamed it on you. I lost all my manners. Sorry."

Well, it seemed working. It did silence him. Sephiroth opened his mouth, tried to say something but he decided to just keep quiet and kept his eyes on the road. At least he knew that his student didn't hold any grudge of him made her cry earlier. Or so he thought.

"If you don't like the silence that much, maybe you can turn on the radio," she suggested. Sephiroth just smirked apologetically to her. "It's broken," he said. Tifa laid her eyes at the object and then looked again at her teacher.

"Do you mind if I'm humming? Well, at first I wanted to sing, but you might not like it and I'm too tired to sing. Besides, I hate this uncomfortable silence too."

The said last sentence definitely took the full interest of the stoic man. He stared at her again with such an amuse look on his handsome face.

Maybe, this was the first time they ever felt the same way.

And far, far down at the bottom of his heart, he hoped it wasn't the last time.

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Sephiroth snorted. He was amused about Tifa asked his permission, just to hum a song? Was he really scared her that she thought she needed his permission to _ever_ do anything inside his car? He surprised how a clever and a stubborn girl like her did something quite… naïve. He felt his lips formed what should be a warm smile, but unfortunately, the girl thought he was mocking her.

"Okay, if you don't want to hear my voice then just speak; don't hold your laughter like that," she sulked. Even when she faced the other way right now, Sephiroth knew she was pouting and the picture of Tifa "The Calm and Collected Student" Lockhart pouted just made him snorted harder.

"Hey, who'd say I don't want to hear your voice?"

"But sir, you just snorted—**twice**!"

"But that doesn't mean I don't want to hear you humming or singing. In fact, I'll be glad to hear it," Sephiroth reassured her. _Don't make me miss this rare moment_.

"…you do?"

"Yeah, go on."

"…Now I know that you want to hear me humming or singing makes me want to stay silent," she said with her back on him. This girl really tested Sephiroth's patience. Just as he felt a bit relief that the girl started to opened up, she suddenly decided to go back to her silent mode. He was about to speak to her about her sudden change of mind when a soft tone was heard from her.

Well, at least she finally _did_ humming a song.

Sephiroth listened to it with full attention. Her voice, though it was just a hum, was soft and it pacified his rampant heart. The remaining journey was at least tranquil. The car finally arrived at the last sector of Midgar and he drove deeper to the Sector 7. Sephiroth once came to this place and he didn't quite like the area. It wasn't that this place was creepy or the neighbors were unpleasant, but he just didn't like the atmosphere. This place was somber, the air was heavy and one could see so easily the poverty in here. Some people even called it Slum. For Sephiroth, this place was a perfect place to be a hideout; a place you're going to when you want to disappear for a moment.

This was also a place where one of his few friends lived. And the said apartment was also the exact place he inhabited. This friend of his chose the place because he wanted to run away from certain reality, which gave Sephiroth the conclusion that this was a place for escaping.

And did the girl sitting beside him thought this place as a hideout too?

If so, what kind of reality she ran away from?

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"This is the place. Thank you for dropping me by," Tifa said formally, she bowed slightly to the older man to show her respect and gratitude, didn't miss his amusement look on his cat-like eyes. She could at least show to him that she wasn't that entire spoiled, stubborn and rebellious student. She could be pleasant, too, if the other person cooperated with her.

"Well, I guess this is a 'See you tomorrow at school', then. You better get some sleep now Lockhart. I don't want to have you drooling at my class tomorrow," Sephiroth's voice hinted a tease rather than order. The girl made a final remark before she stepped into her apartment, "Mr. Crescent, you've only knowing me for two days, don't judge me like so easily like that. No matter how tired I am, I never slept in classroom and I won't ever sleep in your class or any other class. NOT in the classroom, you can take my words."

And then she turned her body and walked inside her safe haven. Sephiroth mused over her last sentence and picked the real meaning of it: she wouldn't sleep inside the classroom; on the other hand she would look for another place to sleep over.

A smirk escaped his lips.

"Just look, Lockhart. If I can't find you in my class tomorrow, I think I know where I have to start to look for your whereabouts."

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Tifa closed the door of her apartment. Finally, she had some alone time for herself. She sighed heavily and jut wanted to call Cid about her absent at the club tonight when her eyes caught a sight of a man at the couch at the living room, watching television. Tifa could feel her heart stopped at the moment.

That man was…

"Is that you, Uncle Angeal?"

The man turned his attention from the television to the teenage girl. A smile appeared on him tired but handsome face.

"Tifa, long time no see. Sorry I come back without telling you first," he said and stood, walked towards the stunned girl to give her a hug. Tifa hesitantly hugged him back, tried her best to repress her trembling hands. The man broke the hug, fell down on his knees and held her at the shoulder; brilliant blue eyes scrutinized the young girl.

"My, my, look what you've become in two years! The last time I saw you, you were only a mere kid, but now you've grown into a beautiful woman, just like your late mother," Angeal gave her a wink. Tifa couldn't help but smile a bit; she might not admit it, but she missed the only family she had.

"I miss you, Uncle," she hugged the man again. Angeal patted her head, a regret flashed on his eyes. Reluctantly, Tifa separated herself from his broad body.

"Sorry to leave you for two years without news, Tifa. There were too much things to do, I even forgot to contact you."

"Never mind. But now you've mentioned it, why did you leave?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Well, you know; some animals to tend to."

"Ah, right. I almost forgot how much you love animals," Tifa smirked. Yup, her uncle worked as animal behaviorist for the Midgar Zoo. Angeal didn't like the sound of 'animal trainer'; he thought that trainers were using force to control the untamed animals, and he was against force to animals. And so he chose the term 'animal behaviorist' for his job. He was one of the best; sometimes the Zoo would send him over the region and continent to get new animals for collection or maybe to join in an expedition to search for new species of animal. When Tifa was little, her late father would tell her stories about his younger brother who was on journey to find every kind of animal. She remembered how much she loved the stories; it amazed her to know how a man would give everything to 'meet & greet' with animals.

"So I bet you were in another expedition, huh? Did you found something new?" Tifa sat at the couch; she was so eager to hear his adventure. Angeal scratched the back of his head and he let his fingers stayed at his over-grown black hair, a sheepish grin plastered over his unshaved face.

"Well, about that…"

"What? You found nothing?"

"Well, quite the opposite, actually…"

"Then why do you look ashamed? You should be proud!"

"Well, I… haven't reported to the Zoo about this newfound species."

"Oh, that—you WHAT?!"

"Wait a sec, will you?"

With that, Angeal disappeared to his room. Tifa, still dumbfounded by her uncle's ignorance (or stupidity?), waited for him patiently. Not too long, the said man re-appeared with something. He hugged something that resembled a ball of red fur, but as he came closer, Tifa could see that it was a baby animal.

"OH MY GOSH, that so CUTE, Uncle!" she couldn't hide her excitement. Angeal smiled proudly and held the animal over to the girl. "I found it in Cosmo Canyon, alone, cold and hungry. It seemed that its parent abandoned it or maybe killed by another animals or hunters. Here, take a look of yourself. Don't worry, it's safe. He just a baby, so it was easy to tame it."

Tifa reached out to take the animal. It looked at her with big gold beaded eyes. She hugged him, noted how soft its fur. The animal resembled a dog, but also looked like a lion with its mane. As if sensed her confusion, Angeal told her, "**That**'s my newfound species. A breed of dog and lion, perhaps, or maybe a completely new species, I still don't know. But it's pretty, isn't it?"

The girl nodded slowly, and then she spoke softly, "Uncle, are you going to report him to Zoo?" Angeal grinned and said, "About that… well, maybe not. Not now. There are some others at the Cosmo Canyon, though. I could fetch up another one for the Zoo."

"But… this baby animal, what are you gonna do with him?" Tifa stared at her uncle disbelievingly. It wasn't like him to hide a newfound species like this; there must be some reason behind his strange behavior. Now that she remarked, it wasn't usual for him to grin or scratch the back of his head.

'He must be awkward or nervous of something,' she thought. Well, it seemed like she couldn't blame his strange behavior or anything; to leave a teenager girl alone for two years without leaving any news might cause every sane person awkward and nervous at the rendezvous.

Her thoughts were cut by her uncle speaking, "As for the baby animal, I was thinking to… umm… oh, well, give it to you. I couldn't make it for your birthday _and _the other two birthdays. Call me animal freak or whatsoever, but I couldn't think of anything better to give a newfound species of baby animal for your birthday present."

Tifa stared at her uncle, and then at the animal, and at her uncle again. She couldn't say anything; she was so embarrassed! She always thought he was an ignorant man but it seemed that her uncle care about her a lot. Well, she knew it was wrong to hide such animal, but Angeal had said he could fetch another one for the Zoo, and she always wanted to have an exotic animal.

"I can't thank you enough, Uncle," the girl hugged the man one-armed, as the other one used to clutch the red animal, and then flashed him a big smile. She felt this was the most sincere smile she ever had since the death of her parents, but then her uncle deserved a big, warm smile for such a great present.

Seeing the brilliant smile, Angeal couldn't help but to stare wide-eyed at the girl; a look of hurt flashed momentarily in his eyes. Tifa eyed her uncle inquisitively. Why did he make such expression? Did he still feel guilty to leave her alone for two years?

"Uncle Angeal, what's wrong? You don't seem too happy," she clutched his shirt. Angeal separated himself from the hug and closed his eyes. He breathed deeply and as he exhaled, a pair of azure orbs looked at her reddish-brown eyes. His hands reached up to cup the heart-shaped face. His expression was unreadable and Tifa could feel her heart racing rapidly.

"You really are much alike Tiffany, Tifa. Your eyes, your smile, it seems I see her alive again," he whispered. Tifa could feel the threatening blush crept upon her cheeks. Sure there were people said how much she looked like her mother, but the way her uncle said that made her heart warm.

But then his expression changed. He smiled a bit and patted her head just like an uncle usually does to his niece.

"Have you decided its name?"

"Huh?" she still flushed.

"Your new pet. What's his name?"

"Oh, that…" Tifa trailed off. She turned her attention back to the cute little thing on her arm. It looked back at her; beaded golden eyes stared back at her. The girl smiled and spoke softly, "I think… I'm gonna name it Nanaki."

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**A/N:** Surprise, surprise! No meannie cliffhanger this time (or so I think…). Now the mysterious uncle had made his appearance… yup, I choose thee, Angeal, to be Tifa's uncle! Maybe he's a bit OOC, but hey, I'm **maybe** the only **one **FF 7 fan who **hasn't played** every one of them yet, not even once! Shame, I know… As for Tiffany, I just made it up. Is there anybody who can tell me the name of Tifa's parents? Now I'm coming back to my own safe haven to write the next chapter of Lone Hyena and Eternal Dream, but before I leave, I just want to say: I'm DESPERATELY in need for BETA!!


End file.
